Fiber optical Y-junction

Abstract

A fiber optical Y-junction device includes a l×N optical fiber coupler connected to N fiber optic amplifier module structures constructed from a doped optical fiber. When the optical Y-junction structure contains a fiber optic amplifier, the fiber optical Y-junction device is operable as either a modulator or lossless power divider. A nonblocking optical switch is constructed by coupling M×l optical fiber couplers to the outputs of the fiber optic amplifier module structures utilizing the fiber optical Y-junction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical device for branching a single input port to one or more of a plurality of output ports, comprising: a 1×N optical fiber coupler having a fiber input coupled to said input port and N fiber outputs;   a plurality of fiber optic amplifier modules each having an input for receiving an optical signal and an output for transmitting an optical signal including means for selectively optically pumping said fiber amplifier modules so that each module is capable of achieving variable gain/loss;   means for fiber coupling each of the fiber outputs of said optical fiber coupler to the input of a respective one of said fiber amplifier modules;   whereby said input signal to a fiber optic amplifier module is amplified at the output when the module is pumped and no output signal is transmitted when the fiber optic amplifier is not pumped.   
     
     
       2. The optical device as recited in claim 1 further including: cable means doped with a positive ionic element from the rare earth elements.   
     
     
       3. The optical device as recited in claim 2 wherein said ionic element is Er 3+ .